The Aftermath
by BlackPaladinCTrunks
Summary: Finally...the fifth chapter...has been written and loaded! R&R, peoples. Rated PG for 'semblance of swearing'.
1. Prologue

In time, the people of Sanctuary forgot about the horrific battles that had once ravaged their world, instead focusing on their own greed, their desire for power. Of course, Sanctuary was not always peaceful. Only months before, the three Prime Evils raged the land, corrupting harmless creatures and turning them into voracious freaks of nature. Diablo, the Lord of Terror, had been the first to escape.but he was destroyed under the catacombs of Tristram. Or so everyone thought.  
  
The hero who had killed Diablo's demonic body, had been corrupted by his evil mind, and drove the Heartstone into his head, to 'contain' Diablo in the mortal realm. Alas, he failed, and Diablo gained control.  
  
The hero, who came to be known as the Wanderer, left Tristram.and in his wake, summoned demonic forces to destroy the town. Only one man survived, the last of the Horadric mages; Deckard Cain. While the Wanderer headed East, he corrupted the sacred monastery of the Rogues, who had been influential in Diablo's capture. He corrupted one of the Lesser Demons, Andariel, and sentenced the wretch to stand guard in the Monastery, so that he could not be tracked further.  
  
New heroes set out to stop Diablo, following the errant wanderings of his mortal host. First to Lut Gholien, where Diablo freed his brother, Baal, then to Kurast, where the demon crossed into Hell. These heroes did slay the eldest demon, Mephisto, then plunged into Hell after the Lord of Terror, taking with them the Soulstone that held Mephisto's evil.  
  
Eventually, the heroes slayed Diablo, destroying both his, and Mephisto's Soulstone on the Hellforge, but they could not rest for long; Baal was still running loose in Sanctuary, and he was headed for the sacred Mount Arreat, and the Worldstone inside. Baal, too, shared the fate of his brothers, but the Archangel Tyrael, guardian of the Worldstone, was forced to destroy it, as Baal's evil had already corrupted the stone.  
  
The following events recite the horror that ensnared the world soon after the Worldstone was destroyed. 


	2. Reunion?

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story except maybe the names of the heroes; Raven, Mortis, Riley, Allan, Egwene, CT, VonKat, et cetera.  
  
---------Chapter One: Reunion---------  
  
Slowly they descended from the sacred mountain, covered in blood and seemingly half-dead. Larzuk was the first to greet them at the entrance to Harrogath, grinning cheerfully.  
  
"So I take it Baal is dead.you did a good job." he said gruffly, much like the other Barbarians. "It's a pity that you'll be leaving soon.you guys made me a fortune."  
  
One of the warriors, a very pale, very thin and very tall man followed by a creature made of metal, smiled grimly. "You sound SO upset.but then again, I don't care.we beat Baal.and Tyrael destroyed the Worldstone." Behind him, a blonde Amazon was un-doing the fastenings of a large Tower Shield, muttering to herself. Her Pike lay on the ground, broken in half.  
  
"Baal did a number on us, though.most of your men died up there.but not to him."  
  
The pale warrior turned, an eyebrow arched. "That's true, isn't it, Raven? But my Iron Golem did it's job.but he got battered just as much as the rest of them."  
  
Raven sighed and shook her head, but paused as light footsteps walked up behind her, and a cheerful voice rang in her ears. "Well done! You have finally destroyed the Lord of Destruction.if I remember, your friends said they were heading up the mountain after you a short while ago."  
  
The pale warrior looked up in shock, eyes wide. "They.can't go up there. We barely escaped ourselves! The Worldstone chambers were swarming with Hell- Spawn even with Baal dead! They're so confused."  
  
Raven snorted, handing her Pike to Larzuk absently. "Listen, Mortis, we can either sit here and moan, or we can go up there and save our friends.it's your call."  
  
Mortis sighed, then nodded his head. "Let's get going.but we have to stock up on items again."  
  
--------------------  
  
Halfway up Mount Arreat, a pack of wolves and a larger Werewolf stalked up the cliff, then paused. The Werewolf turned his head and sighed, a puff of frozen air rising from his mouth. "Come on, they may need our help."  
  
A good 15 feet below, a young Sorceress and her Rogue scout sat, panting heavily. Snarling, the Sorceress stood, glaring at the Druid. "Well, if you insist." She sighed, focusing on a spot near the Druid and vanished, her Rogue following her up the cliff. "OK, now where's Riley?"  
  
The Druid shrugged, turning back into his normal form; that of a young man in his late 20's, carrying a giant hammer in both hands. His fur vest and brown tunics seemed inappropriate for the harsh climate of the mountain, but he never complained. "Why don't you yell down and see, Egwene? If you don't bring the entire mountain down, he'll catch up."  
  
Still glaring, the Sorceress tilted her head and called out. "RILEY, YOU IDIOT, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" Her voice echoed for a minute before she turned to the Druid. "OK, Allan, now what?"  
  
The Druid started to answer when he heard the returning call. "Down here. No need to shout.my Mercenary died though.again. Qual-Kehk SO owes me. I'll be right up.step back."  
  
There was a grunt and then the massive Barbarian appeared, Halberd in hand as he crashed onto the edge of the cliff, his slain Mercenary draped over his bare shoulder. Egwene shivered, glaring at both of them. "Just looking at you two makes me cold.do you not notice the blizzard?"  
  
Both Druid and Barbarian grinned, causing the Sorceress to sigh. "Fine. You can head back to Harrogath if you want.we'll keep on going. But you have to take what's left of Neeraj."  
  
Egwene grinned, shivering despite herself. She had agreed to drag the lunkheads along, after all. "Fine. If I see Raven and Mortis down there, I'll come find you.and why did you choose a Mercenary with a name unpronounceable even to him?"  
  
Riley shrugged, flashing his trademark grin, then took out a Town Portal scroll. "Wakka wakka wakka." The bluish portal sprang to life and Egwene, along with the Rogue and Nikal's corpse, entered it. It closed, leaving Riley and Allan to themselves. "So.let's get going. Baal awaits."  
  
Allan nodded and transformed into his Werewolf form, and started up the hill again, his wolves and Riley following close behind.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Farther down the mountain, two Paladins and their Iron Wolves Mercenaries stood in a tight circle formation, growling. In the center, a wounded Assassin laid moaning, blood dripping from where her right hand used to be. Her own Mercenary, a big brute of a Barbarian, knelt beside her, trying to stop the flow of blood.  
  
"Damnit, VonKat, we have to go back down and get help!" shouted one of the Paladins as he smashed a rampaging Ice Spawn aside with his shield.  
  
"And I told you, CT, we can't just yet! We can't open a Portal here, because those damn Demons will just follow us in!" snapped the other Paladin, his Broad Sword stabbing another Ice Spawn in the neck.  
  
"Hold on.look down there! They're.fighting each other." replied CT, grinning. "And I know that we didn't do it."  
  
VonKat had to look as well, and he let out a cheer. "That's Mortis' work. They must have beaten the bastard.but where's Raven?"  
  
His query was answered as a javelin flew from the bush, striking one of the larger Overlords and sending it to the ground as a large blast of lightning flew through the few remaining demons still standing.  
  
"Right here." She said, smiling coyly. "I can't believe you guys are down here.look at those corpses.what the hell happened anyways? And where is Tina?"  
  
CT stepped aside, revealing the deathly-pale Assassin, her eyes glazing over. "We were ambushed.didn't want to open a Town Portal.afraid the demons would follow."  
  
Raven sighed and pulled out a Town Portal scroll, opening it with a muttered "Fine." and pointed. "You two, CT and.Barbarian, take her to Malah now. That's an order. VonKat, you and your Mercenary are coming with Mortis and myself; we still have a job to do.Egwene is waiting back in Harrogath."  
  
The Paladin nodded, lifting Tina and carrying her into the Portal, the Barbarian and Iron Wolf following close behind. VonKat smiled, then pointed further down the path. "And as for Allan and Riley?"  
  
Raven shrugged. "Much farther up the mountain, I guess. Come ON, we don't have all day.MORTIS!" She had seen the Necromancer create a wall of bone in front of himself, then turn around to prepare a dagger when a large Skeleton rose from the ground beside him, large blade cleaving the pale warrior in half. He didn't even let out a cry of surprise before he hit the ground.his Iron Golem shook twice then shattered.enraged, both Paladin and Amazon ran forward, a halo of light appearing at their feet. VonKat was the first to strike, his shield slamming into the skeletal midsection, followed by a flaming white arrow that shattered the bony warrior, sending chunks of ice everywhere. Raven knelt over Mortis, who grinned.  
  
"Heh." he said, blood oozing from his lips. Immediately, a bluish halo surrounded Mortis, slowly (and I do mean SLOWLY) reforming his body.groaning, he sat up and shook his head. "Thanks, VonKat.oh damn, my Golem.now I have to find another fancy shield."  
  
Raven sighed, then stood slowly, her expression blank. She didn't want to lose Mortis like she knew she'd lose Tina.the damage done, with a poisoned blade most likely, would never heal, even with an expert healer like Malah. "Damnit.we have to go find Riley and Allan now.we'll use that Town Portal and take the one that Egwene opened on the mountain."  
  
-----------------------------  
  
IWhat will happen to our beloved heroes? And what is going on, anyways? Why does Ormus only refer to himself in first person twice?!/I 


	3. Hell's Fury

While the heroes searched for their allies on Mount Arreat, the warmer climates of Lut Gholein were recovering from a massive explosion that had rocked the foundations of the city, causing mass confusion.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?" shouted Jerhyn, current Prince of Lut Gholein. Screams echoed through the streets, the sound of swords and spears clashing together with.something. From his vantage point in the Palace, he could see smoke rising from the Village Plaza. "Kaelan, what is happening?"  
  
The Palace Guard shrugged, then ran down the stairs quite unexpectedly. Jerhyn sighed; no-one told him what was happening. The sound of battle had grown closer, worrying the young prince. One word echoed above all, coming from Kaelan. "Demons?!"  
  
The Prince grumbled in disbelief. The demons were trapped inside Hell, he had seen the heroes who set out after Baal do it, had he not? Magic flashed along the sky, and he began to doubt.  
  
In the village plaza, a fair chunk of Town Guards, as well as Fara, a former Paladin of Zakarum, were fighting against what seemed to be an endless flow of undead Skeletons, dressed in thick gold armor. Farther back, the elderly sorcerer Drognan was hurling fire at those undead that popped up so suddenly in the middle of the harbor. He was beginning to worry; these were forces from Hell, but how did they escape? "Fara, keep them busy! I'm going to go find the Prince, and take him to the docks! Try to keep these Hellspawn away from there!" Taking out a vial of black liquid, he threw it into the undead throng, then faded into the air.  
  
Jerhyn began to panic as the first demon reached his throne, the giant Goatman bleating a challenge before charging forward, axe raised in the air. Stepping away, he closed his eyes, waiting for the killing blow.  
  
It never landed, as the Goatman exploded, blood flying everywhere. The prince opened his eyes and let out a cry of surprise. "Drognan!"  
  
The sorcerer turned to Jerhyn and smiled. "Take my hand.we're going to the docks.Meshif is still here and hopefully his boat is in better condition than the city will be."  
  
Jerhyn gasped, latching onto the elderly sorcerer's shoulder. "Let's go."  
  
Of course, Kurast had it's own problems; though the docks were safe, due to the mighty power of the Gidbinn, the city itself was not. Fire licked the dense forest, and the thousands of cannibalistic Flayers were being driven out in droves, running into the river to escape their pursuers. Great Megademons rampaged through the jungle, the obvious cause of the massive fire, swinging their swords at whatever moved.  
  
"We are in trouble, friends of Ormus. Hell has unleashed itself upon us."  
  
Two Iron Wolves stood just outside the dock entrance, swords drawn. The wooden bridge would be cut once the larger demons got near, and though the mages would be sacrificed, they would die in honor. "Here they come.now, cut the ropes!" Steel glinted as the bridge fell into the water, and the two Iron Wolves sighed as the first Megademon slammed it's curved sword into their heads.  
  
"Ormus, we have to do something.there has to be something that we haven't thought of." said Asheara, the leader of the Iron Wolves. Her eyes were blurred as she remembered what her men had done only hours before. "The heroes who destroyed Mephisto.they could help us."  
  
The sorcerer shook his bald head, leaning heavily on his staff. "This is not their battle."  
  
Let's check in on Jerhyn and Drognan. Yes, we have to. They're important or something.  
  
"Where is Meshif?!" demanded Drognan, looking around frantically. The drunk Geglash shrugged, then pointed towards the plaza. "You buffoon! I said MESHIF, NOT FARA!"  
  
Geglash cowered, covering his face with his arms. "I'm sho shorry, Drognansh. He ish over there though. Now gimme a kish."  
  
Drognan glared, kicking the drunken sod in the shin. "If Meshif is helping the others, then.I'll go find him and Fara. Maybe Greiz as well."  
  
"No, Jerhyn. I can travel faster than you, and it's my responsibility to find them. You get onto the boat. Geglash, you better protect him or I'll hang you by the liver." Snapped Drognan, teleporting before Geglash could utter a whimper.  
  
Greiz grumbled as his men backed up. This endless surge of demonic powers were unnerving, and his men were scared. Fara stood at the back, muttering to herself, and the shifty Elzix yawned. He hadn't been disturbed by the skeletons; it was Meshif who had woken up the ex-bandit.  
  
"Fara! Greiz! Meshif!" Greiz turned, his eyes wide. Drognan had appeared in the throng of skeletons, magic obliterating most of them. Of course, more were rising, but it was a good break. "We have to get to your boat, Meshif.Lut Gholein is doomed."  
  
Nodding his head, Meshif ran forward, placing a hand on Drognan's shoulder. "We better get moving.Greiz, can your men find the boat?"  
  
Greiz nodded, then stepped forward to address his men. "Head for the docks! You have 5 minutes! Come on, Fara.and you too, Elzix."  
  
Fara moved quickly, latching onto Meshif's arm, but Elzix didn't move. "If ya don't mind, Greiz, I'll stay here. If I get killed.oh well. It happens."  
  
Drognan sighed. "Elzix, find Atma. If she's still alive, get her to the docks." With that, the 4 vanished, leaving Elzix and only 15 mercenaries in the square.  
  
"You heard Drognan! We'll find Atma, then head to the boat."  
  
Again, back at Kurast.  
  
"The Gidbinn's power is fading.we must find a way to protect the docks long enough for a boat to arrive." Snapped Alkor, the Alchemist already creating an explosive potion. Asheara nodded in agreement, turning to Hratli.  
  
"Don't look at me.Meshif is in Lut Gholein.we can always head into the jungle.find somewhere safe to hide."  
  
Ormus stepped from the shadows, eyes narrowed. "The Gidbinn is weak, but will hold for a day. If we are lucky, Meshif will arrive."  
  
Back in Lut Gholein.  
  
"Atma? Atma, where are you?"  
  
Frantically, Elzix ran through the streets, throwing a dagger at one of the newest arrivals; Blunderbores. Shaking his head, he continued to run, seven of the Mercenaries in pursuit. He knew Atma was dead.now they were trying to escape from the brutal monsters chasing them. "Damnit, run! The boat is just ahead!"  
  
Fara looked on from the distance, her eyes narrowed. "They've brought in demons now.I don't see Atma.Meshif, we must head for Kurast."  
  
The boat captain sighed. "If we must.they will need a lift as well.we're heading south."  
  
Jerhyn looked up, surprised. "To where?" Meshif just grinned as the last Mercenary boarded, then frowned. "Damnit, someone has to cut that rope."  
  
Elzix moved in a flash, jumping onto the dock to cut the rope. As his dagger sawed through, the Blunderbore's caught up, slamming their massive 'clubs' into his skull. Fara screamed as the boat sailed off.  
  
Kurast.  
  
Smiling, Asheara pointed out into the water. "It's Meshif!" Alkor groaned, then hobbled closer. The boat docked seconds later, and Meshif sighed. "Get on! All of you.where is Ormus?"  
  
The Vizjerei mage picked up the Gidbinn, then ran towards the boat. "Go!" 


	4. Alliances

---------Chapter 3: Alliance.---------  
  
"Allan, it's quiet."  
  
The Druid looked at the trailing Barbarian and nodded. "We should probably head back.come on, the Town Portal is down there."  
  
Riley smiled, then began to jog down the hill when he heard a rumble come from the mountain. "You're kidding me.that rumbling.we better move!" Without waiting, the Barbarian leaped, flying down the mountain to the open Town Portal, Allan following behind him at a full-out run. The earth trembled again and shattered as the Druid dove through the portal, watching it slam shut. "What was that?"  
  
Riley didn't answer, his attention on the form in front of him. "Deckard Cain, what is happening?"  
  
The Horadrim said nothing, walking away briskly. CT and the wounded Assassin walked forward, eyes narrowed as they walked past Cain. "The others didn't find you? Where were you ANYWAYS?"  
  
Allan stepped forward, an odd expression on his face. "We were up higher on the mountain.where is Egwene? And Raven?"  
  
CT shrugged. "Raven is looking for you two with VonKat and that Necromancer. Egwene has left to join them."  
  
Allan shrugged. "OK.and that rumbling was what?"  
  
CT shrugged again. "Cain hasn't said.I do know that Atma arrived here only an hour ago.apparently, Lut Gholein has been destroyed by Hell itself.and an Iron Wolf also arrived.Kurast has fallen to the same fate."  
  
Riley blinked. "What? Hell itself? You mean."  
  
CT smiled. "No no no.they escaped. Except for Elzix and Geglash.they were both killed.Kurast had the Gidbinn after all.they're apparently sailing south to the Amazonian Islands.they weren't involved directly with the war against the Three. I was planning to head to the Pandemonium Fortress.they might need help themselves.they're the cause for Diablo's destruction.well, we are, but Tyrael gave us the damn quest."  
  
Shrugging, the Barbarian looked over at the glowing waypoint. "You know how I feel about those Oblivion Knights."  
  
The Paladin chuckled. "Yeah.we had to pull you out of there several times."  
  
Riley grinned. "Hey, it wasn't MY fault that I'm used as a shield.but Allan makes a MUCH better shield (Allan: "Hey!") than I do."  
  
CT chuckled again. "Werewolves are NOT good shields.if he actually summoned those damn Bears."  
  
Allan snorted and turned away from the Paladin. "Shut up already. I'm not some wimp you can pick on. I can kick your ass just as fast as anyone else, CT."  
  
The Paladin snarled, then turned away and chuckled. "Sure you could.are you two coming or not?"  
  
Riley smiled. "I'll come.how about you, Allan?" The Druid didn't answer, instead walking to the waypoint and vanishing. Riley sighed and turned back to CT. "OK, let's get going.but shouldn't we wait for the others? I think VonKat or Egwene would want to come."  
  
The Paladin hesitated. "VonKat can go straight to Hell and Egwene only cares about how guys react to her blundering. We don't need them."  
  
Riley was surprised at CT's outburst, but said nothing. "Fine. Lead the way."  
  
Meanwhile, VonKat, Raven, Mortis and Egwene were wandering around in another part of Harrogath. VonKat let his head droop, obviously upset about something. Raven sighed before turning to the Paladin. "What's wrong?"  
  
VonKat smiled, looking up. "It's CT.I think there's something wrong.like he allied with Hell. He's been so.mad lately. He blames me for Tina being injured.I told him that it wasn't my fault.no-one could have foreseen what happened.and now I think he's gone running to Hell."  
  
Allan appeared beside them, a grim expression on his face. "And he took Riley."  
  
The Pandemonium Fortress was rocked as another wave of demons crashed into the barriers created by Tyrael himself. Those demons that made it to the long, winding stairs found themselves dead before they could take another step. A Barbarian and an Amazon stood on the stairs, poised to strike.  
  
CT smiled as they appeared inside the Pandemonium Fortress, looking around intently. "Halbu? Jamella?"  
  
Riley started immediately for the long staircase leading into the Outer Steppes, boots crunching small rocks into dust. He spotted a lone Amazon and her Barbarian ally on the stairs and called out. "You two look fine for Heaven's latest recruits."  
  
The Amazon turned her head and smiled. "Naturally, young Riley. How is my dear sister-in-arms, Raven?" She nudged the Barbarian in the ribs, and got a grunt in response. "Oh, and Marlick wants to know how YOU fare."  
  
Riley chuckled coyly. "Raven has fallen for the young Necromancer, Krow, and I fare just fine. A bit annoyed that my friend, CT, dragged me back.but fine."  
  
Krow frowned. "CT is that rude Paladin who tried to kill me, correct?" Marlick grunted again, three daggers piercing the screaming form of a Vile Mother, who dropped like a stone on the stairs. "He isn't very popular with any of us right now.  
  
Riley blinked. He had joined with the others soon after Diablo had been destroyed, and had only known Krow for a few days before her and the scarred Barbarian voted to help prepare defenses. "He tried to kill you?"  
  
Krow nodded, a glowing blue arrow striking a cluster of Doom Knights, sending thousands of icy chunks everywhere. "He said that all were corrupted and he must purge Hell.then he attacked me and Raven. It's a sad day when a.hold on." She paused long enough to pick up a Javelin and throw it into another cluster of enemies, this time Finger Mages, and smiled as the Javelin exploded, becoming a massive bolt of lightning. ".when a Paladin loses his judgement and strikes his own friends."  
  
Riley turned to the Paladin, who had just started down the stairs and hissed. "You tried to kill Raven? Why?"  
  
The Paladin froze, eyes hooded. "I never tried anything of the sort, my friend. In fact, I saved Raven's life last time I was here."  
  
Krow snarled. "Yeah, after you almost killed her, you son of a." the Paladin glared at the Amazon before brushing past Riley and Krow, but froze as Marlick stepped in front of him.  
  
"You go nowhere, little man." Said the Barbarian, crossing thick, scarred arms across a thicker chest. He was close to 7 feet, and despite his bulk, only weighed 250lbs. The shorter Paladin hissed again. Not until Riley know truth."  
  
CT looked back at Riley, blond hair flying into his eyes. His eyes burned with hatred, but he said nothing as he started to move again. "Move it, you brute."  
  
Marlick laughed, the eerie melody echoing through the Fortress. "I'm no Brute.Brutes found near Rogues. Now explain."  
  
CT sighed. "It will do you no good.let me pass, or I'll unleash Hell upon this Fortress." Immediately, Riley and Krow were behind CT, weapons drawn. "Oh crap."  
  
Krow smiled. "I knew it. You drove the Soulstone into your forehead, didn't you? Just like the Wanderer.you bastard! I should kill you now!"  
  
CT said nothing for a minute, then sighed. "Krow, I didn't do that. You saw me destroy it. I was given an option by Mephisto when I first became a Paladin; to serve Hell, or to die. I chose life.but my brother, VonKat, screwed up. He chose to die, then fled. I was forced to flee as well.but not once did I touch the Soulstone, you morons. I was smarter than that.and you have the gall to accuse me of driving the SOULSTONE into my head?" Silence, then; "You're stabbing me in the foot with your spear, girl."  
  
Krow blushed, pulling her spear out of CT's foot and turned to the others. "Told you he was evil."  
  
The two Barbarians said nothing then started to laugh. Krow looked around, confused, then looked down and screamed. "GIVE ME BACK MY ARMOR YOU SON OF A NEUTERED GOAT!"  
  
CT didn't flinch, possibly because he wasn't holding the armor. Riley grinned and ran off, with the naked Krow in pursuit. CT shook his head sadly and brushed past Marlick, into the swarm of Hell-spawned demons. "I've chosen my side.and soon you too will have to choose what side you stand on; the winning side or the side that has always been losing." 


	5. We are SO doomed'

---------Chapter 4: 'We are SO doomed'.---------  
  
"Settle down, all of you!" shouted Jerhyn, standing between the Town Guards and the Iron Wolves. Ever since they had reached the boat, they were becoming restless, snapping at each other and being all-around jerks. Eventually they would have to touch down on land, and set out for the Rogue Monastery. It had only fallen once.they were afraid it had fallen a second time. "Now, please, go play cards or something. Just stop fighting.Drognan, put the staff down. If you hit Ormus, he'll hit you back."  
  
Ormus and Drognan glared at each other, daggers flying from their eyes. Slowly they walked away from each other, leaving Greiz and Asheara to drag their men away from each other. Hratli and Jerhyn sighed at the same time, then turned to each other.  
  
"Immature bastards. All of them." Muttered Hratli, looking at Fara with an arched eyebrow. "I take it that she was a Paladin.did she know of the corruption?"  
  
Jerhyn shrugged. "It's possible that she left right before Mephisto corrupted them. There are several rogue Paladins out there; the ones who hunted Diablo."  
  
"True.over there, is that land?"  
  
Westmarch spread out before the boat, a wonderful sight to say as the passengers were hoping to crash. Anything to end this seasickness. Alkor was right; Meshif WAS the tour-guide for the stupid. As the boat docked, the Iron Wolves almost jumped off, happy to see land, though not so much as the Town Guards. They celebrated for a second before remembering that they were at war with each other and started glaring again. What was suprising, however, was the large group of warriors, along with several Rogues. From the middle of the throng, Egwene waved her staff around, calling out to them.  
  
"You made it! Good.Atma said you guys were going to probably come to the Monastery.we have bad news, however.the Monastery still stands, Rogues still inhabit it.but it's almost impossible to reach without a Waypoint.and the Waypoints inside the Monastery have been deactivated because the demons were using them to get inside.it will take us about three days to reach a Waypoint."  
  
Jerhyn blinked. "But you just said that the Points inside the Monastery were deactivated." Egwene nodded. "So how do we get in?"  
  
The Sorceress tapped her staff and smiled. "Well, we take a Waypoint to the nearest Point outside of the Monastery and then run to the doors. We have the best army there is with us; the Knights of Westmarch have promised to help us get there, and now that we have both the Iron Wolves and your Guard, we'll get there much easier.now let's go."  
  
Alkor looked up. "Potatoes?"  
  
The Rogue Monastery was quiet that day. Hundreds of demonic camps flickered just outside the walls, the demonic Fallen trying to keep the great Brutes under control. Occasionally one would break free and tear apart a camp or two before being brought down, but it was becoming more and more rare.  
  
"I've never seen so many Fallen in one place for a while now.how does the Sorceress plan to get back in with a large group? They'll surely get attacked constantly."  
  
One of the Rogues looked in the distance, noticing repeated, uneven flashes of Lightning with no thunder. The High Priest of the Sisterhood Of The Sightless Eye, Akara, smiled. "Well, here she comes.and she must have found some other Sorceresses."  
  
The Iron Wolves laughed, enjoying the bloodbath as fire and lightning tore through attack after attack. The more calculating Wolves, those trained with Ice, covered the flank. Egwene, along with Ormus and Drognan, threw whatever came to mind into the throng.  
  
"Take out those Shamans or destroy the corpses! We don't want those Imps getting back up!"  
  
As that was said, three Brutes charged in from the western flank, throwing Iron Wolves aside like they were nothing. Three of the Westmarch knights, along with two of the Guards, began to fight back. The two Rogues took aim and began to fire arrows at anything that had been dead seconds before.  
  
"We're in trouble, Egwene.we have to start moving forward. The Town Guard and those Knights can handle whatever attacks, but we have to get inside the walls before something actually happens!"  
  
The Sorceress nodded, a great wall of fire rising underneath one of the Shaman. This wasn't working; the Shamans were getting up from having their heads removed, from being shocked to death and even from being impaled on sharp, pointy things. Grumbling, she swung her staff at a larger Shaman and broke the staff in half.  
  
"SON OF A.you jerk! That staff cost me a fortune!"  
  
The Shaman laughed, starting to summon a fireball. It never got the chance as a great Meteor crushed it, sending flaming debris everywhere. Egwene turned to see a flash of light, and paid it no further heed. Instead, she stole the Shaman's staff and broke it in half, the mystical bonds breaking and killing the revived Fallen. Shaking her head, now unarmed, the Sorceress ran back towards Jerhyn, Asheara and Fara, grumbling. "Do either one of you have a decent staff that fuels energy to anything flammable?"  
  
Both shook their heads no, then began to move forward. Jerhyn didn't move, his head bowed. Egwene froze, focusing on the Prince. "Fara.are you sure he.crap."  
  
The Prince turned slowly, then fell forward, three arrows piercing his eyeballs as several Skeleton Archers ducked down. Fara screamed and stood over the Prince, even slapping him, before letting him fall to the ground. Her eyes had gone hard and she screamed again, pulling a sword out of nowhere. A third scream set her charging forward into the trees to seek revenge on the Archers. Not even three steps into the trees and an arrow embedded itself in her throat, and a guttural cheer rose. From the trees, a Rogue emerged, obviously corrupted by.something. She drew back the string of her bow, a glowing red arrow forming and fired it at Egwene, who had the sense to duck. The arrow whizzed by harmlessly, impaling itself in the side of a Brute. Naturally, the Brute didn't like this.  
  
Immediately chaos broke free. Skeletons, Fallen and the corrupted Rogue were fighting against the very large, very angry group of Brutes which were also, ironically, smart enough to tear the Shamans apart first. Egwene and the remaining warriors stared in silent amazement. As the last Fallen chunks fell, the Brutes noticed the now-bad group and bellowed again.  
  
"Uh.let's have a vote. Who wants to." the Sorceresses words died as she noticed that everyone else was already running away. She sighed and followed suit, teleporting behind the great wave of Brutes and into a dead run. Silently, she wondered why it's called a 'dead run', when the dead OBVIOUSLY don't run. Or move. Unless they're Skeletons.  
  
The Rogues watched in mild amusement as the group of warriors appeared in the distance and gaining fast. The occasional flash signified someone Teleporting.the gates, however, were still closed.and it would take them a while to open the gates again.  
  
"I'll teleport ahead!" snapped Egwene, vanishing once again. The Rogues were suspecting this, and had begun to slowly open the main gates. Egwene appeared behind the gate, her eyes wide. She turned to see the gate opened just enough for people to enter, two at a time. Or a very agile Brute.  
  
"Take out those Brutes!" she snapped, three arrows already flying through the air. As one they connected on the lead Brute, causing it to only pause. It didn't care that it was just shot in the face with a bunch of flaming arrows; it just wanted to destroy. Another volley of arrows dropped two Brutes behind the lead, still leaving 5. The Iron Wolves turned on a heel, the combined forces of fire and ice impacting upon the lead Brute and two behind it. The weaker ones fell as chunks of ice, but still.  
  
"It won't die!" someone shouted, much to Egwene's annoyance. She may be staff-less, but she could still fight...she then noticed the green tint to the fur and smiled.  
  
"That's Treehead Woodfist! He's immune to almost anything we throw at him except."  
  
Two of the Wolves nodded and unleashed a heavy barrage of lightning bolts. Treehead froze again. It was beginning to weaken. Very slowly. A burst of electric energy sent it to a knee. A bolt of lightning dropped it to the ground. One last shot and.  
  
Cheers erupted from the Rogues, easily picking off the group of remaining Brutes. For once, the wilderness was quiet. As the last Iron Wolf walked in, Kashya ran up and, uncharacteristic of herself, hugged Egwene.  
  
"Thank you! We can now handle our real problems."  
  
Egwene looked at Kashya with a blank look. "Real problems?" Kashya nodded and motioned for her to follow. 


	6. Ugly Things Are Ugly

[Standard Disclaimer; I do not own Diablo II. If I did, I would not be here. I'd be somewhere else. Oh, and I don't own StarCraft, so GETOFFAMYCASE. ---------Chapter 5: Ugly Things Are Ugly.---------  
  
"So now we have a choice. Do we go help the Rogues, or do we head for Lut Gholein to see who survived?" Allan, VonKat, Raven and Mortis looked at each other, then at Tina, whose arm was stitched back on. "Let's be honest, Tina. You're in no condition to fight, so you have no say in this." Stated Raven, looking at the others again. Mortis smiled, summoning a Fire Golem from the depths of hell, then looked again at the Assassin. "I disagree, Raven. She can come with us, protect our backs. . ." replied the Necromancer, still smiling that haunting smile he had. Despite herself, the Amazon shivered. VonKat looked at them both, then shrugged. "She can come if she wants to. When have I cared?"  
  
Remember those fun-loving Rogues? Well.  
  
"WHAT DID I JUST TELL YOU ABOUT SLEEPING WITH THOSE FORGEINERS?!" Kashya's battlecry echoed through the Barracks, much to the embarrassment of Greiz, Asheara and Egwene. They sat in the Outer Cloister, under the shade of the giant Rogue statue. "Wait. . .how many. . .I had hoped that we had destroyed them all. They were Baal's personal slaves, they should have died. . ." Mumbled Egwene, leaning her new staff across her knees. It had cost her a pretty gold necklace as well as 3000 gold pieces, but it was worth it. "And if what you say is true, they'll be backed by Minotaurs. If we're lucky." Remarked Greiz, smiling. "The thrill of battle. . .things were too easy in Lut Gholein. Here, I'll finally see some action." Egwene chuckled, much to the surprise of Asheara. A Rogue approached them, bowing her head. "Mistress Egwene. . .Master Greiz. . .Asheara. . .Kashya wishes to see you now." Egwene sighed and stood, Griez and Asheara following. "Well, this battle may be entertaining. The Clans usually have a scant 2000 at the very max, and we have. . .how many?" Egwene shrugged. "Thirty Rogues as of now, 6 Guards, 33 Knights and the 12 Iron Wolves. Add in Kashya, Greiz, you, me, Ormus and Drognan. . .fifty- seven. If VonKat and them ever arrive, maybe seventy. I wish Krow and Marlick were here. . ."  
  
Riley, Krow and Marlick sat in the great hall of the Pandemonium Fortress, muttering amongst themselves. Finally, Krow nodded. "OK. Fine. We'll go to Harrogath, then meet up with your friends and head to the Rogue Monastery. I don't want to leave with CT out there, though. . .he could cause trouble." Riley nodded. "Yes. . .but we have to help the others as well. The damned can't enter this fortress as long as the seal is up. Now, let's be off. . ."  
  
Time passed, and the heroes from Harrogath eventually arrived at the monastery. Kashya was not too pleased.  
  
"You brought. . .three hundred Barbarians?! Where do they plan to sleep?! Not with my Rogues. . ." Riley blushed, looking away. "They plan to cleanse the wilderness outside the Monastery. That could take a while. . .that also gives us time to prepare for those Clans." Kashya glared again. "They'll be within attack range by tomorrow. We found out that two clans of Goatmen are coming from the desert, followed by a pack of Sabre Cats. . .that makes it 370 against close to ten thousand." Riley and Marlick looked surprised at the numbers. Egwene, however, laughed. "Remember, Mortis is here. He can simply create an army of Skeletons. . .and Allan has his Grizzly. That thing is like a beacon for anything living or dead. We'll survive, don't worry." Krow looked at Egwene with a disgusted look. "You forget, this battle will be very taxing on all of us. Should one of us fall, Egwene, you have to get us out of there. The monastery was under siege before this. . .and it still is." Kashya nodded. "We will have to leave a fair number of our Rogues here.and Jerhyn's warriors have agreed to stay behind as well. . ." Greiz stepped forward. "You mean MY mercenaries." Kashya growled and drew an arrow, shaking it at Greiz. Greiz responded by flipping her the bird. "Stop fighting, ladies." Snapped Riley, stepping between Kashya and Greiz, who were trying to vivisect each other with blunt objects. "Now, we can definitely chew through a fair chunk of this 'army' in the first attack, then lead them into the pass. That will definitely give the Rogues a better chance, as they can't pass through more than one at a time. At best. Those Minions of Destruction are big, apparantly, and with the other forces. . ." Greiz nodded, swinging his spear at Kashya one last time. "Fine, fine. If they manage to get inside, we'll tear them apart. This will be quite interesting. . ."  
  
As morning dawned, the 'Fellowship' prepared for battle. Arrows were loaded, weapons were sharpened and the armor was handed out. VonKat and Raven both elected to stay back with the Rogues; they were the most experienced warriors, excluding the Barbarians, and besides, 300 Barbarians were more than enough. . .  
  
How wrong they were. . .  
  
The battle started normally, with the Barbarians teaming up to take down the larger, more vicious Minions of Destruction. The 'Paladins' of Westmarch focused more on the rest of the forces. Then, a scream of dismay.  
  
"Lurkers!" Krow and Marlick turned to see who had screamed out, naturally in time to watch as a great stream of spikes burst from the ground, tearing a chunk out of the Barbarians, who had moved onto Minotaurs. Mortis growled even as his Skeletons were decimated, retreating to meet with the great Barbarian. "Damnit, what the hell is attacking?!" he demanded, calling up a Minion of Destruction from the corpse pile. The beast roared and charged into the Goatmen fray, bodies flying with every strike. From the dead Goatmen, Skeleton Mages rose, firing at the Sabre Cats. However, the Mages fell to the great stream of spikes. "I can't see anything. . ." Marlick stepped past Mortis, bellowing fiercely. Several giant spiders rose from the ground, scurrying away in fear. Mortis smiled and began to fire Bone Spirits. Three Lurkers dropped before the effects of Howl wore off, and the remaining Lurkers burrowed again. Krow shrugged and summoned a Valkyrie. "I've never fought anything like these. . .creatures."  
  
VonKat and Raven sighed, watching the distance of the pass with great interest. They would know if the first line had failed. . .feral screams caught the attention of VonKat. "What the. . ." His words died off as several thousand dog-sized beasts swarmed through the pass, ravenous squeaks echoing through the field. "Oh shit!"  
  
Allan and Riley smiled as several Dire Wolves took down a Lurker. The 'Howl' idea was working fairly well; despite their attack style, the 'spiders' still unburrowed in fear. Though quite large, they seemed defenseless above ground. Another Lurker rose to reposition itself, only to be ambushed by a great flock of Ravens, and a Carrion Vine lurked underground, stealing corpses. "I'm worried. . .this is too easy." Muttered the Druid, turning back into the giant Wolf to decimate another Lurker. Riley nodded and looked back. Of the 300 Barbarians, 200 were not injured, 35 dead, 65 injured badly. "This might have been a trap. . .to lure our. . .son of a bitch!" Riley caught on seconds later, his voice echoing across the field. "WE'VE BEEN SET UP!"  
  
". . .you have to be kidding me." More and more of the. . .things. . .charged from the small pass, fire, ice and lightning striking them before they could get near. Rotting flesh wafted from the pile of corpses, barely affecting the Rogues. But then again, if you had to clean out several floors of corpses, blood and decay, you would be used to the stench too. Raven was glad that VonKat had stayed behind. He was continuously flashing auras, weakening the creatures while also lending strength to the archers. Another wave of the beasts fell to a single strike of lightning, launched from the javelin-toting Amazon, only to be replaced by larger versions of the beasts. Finally, VonKat stepped away from the Rogues, vaulting over the wall to land just outside the gate. The club-like scepter struck two of the beasts, tossing them into the crowd, while his shield shattered the face of a third. The numbers were overwhelming. . . The gate flew open, Greiz and his Town Guards charging into the fray. Their own auras, weaker versiosn of VonKat's, sprung to life as spears and polearms tore apart beast after beast. A sudden roar caught their attentions, and it also sent the strange monsters into the earth. From the pass, a lone beast charged, great blades gleaming in the dim light. It caught two of the Town Guards by the stomach, tossing them into the side of the cliff, then charged again. VonKat laughed. "Only one. . .let's take it out!" A spear deflected off the beasts thick, armored hide, snapping in half. The Town Guard gasped and stepped back, only to feel the great blades tear through his neck. One blow, one simple blow.two more Town Guards died in easy-to-counter strikes, leaving only four of them, as well as Greiz and VonKat. Both screamed and charged forward, Greiz's expertise in battle barely helping him dodge a decapitating shot. VonKat bludgeoned the beast upside the head, distracting it long enough for Greiz to roll underneath it, his spear finding the only weak spot; it's underbelly. The mammoth-like being screeched and fell to the ground, stiff as a board. Greiz muttered something from under the carcass before clawing his way out, wiping the creature's blood from his spear and armor. "Euch. . ." VonKat nodded in agreement and set the corpse aflame, then turned and walked back inside. Greiz and the remaining guards dragged their dead inside soon after. . .  
  
Of course, the pillar of smoke rising from the area around the Monastery sent the Barbarian warriors into a frenzy, as they crossed the last 20 miles at a dead run, screaming vengeance. This, in turn, led to the Rogues preparing to shoot more fleshy things and make them bleed. It never happened, as at the last minute both parties realized they wouldn't be fighting again for a while. . .  
  
--- Or at least 20 minutes. 20 Barbarians, however, did die, as they were crushed by 20 boulders.  
  
"I think I should shut up now." Muttered the narrator as the chapter ended. "Now, the big questions; what was that big fecking creature that threatened to destroy the Rogue Monastery? How many people will realize that I've been using StarCraft stuff this entire chapter? WHO CARES? What's next for our heroes? 'Dude, where's my car?' Find out next time.same Diablo II time, same Diablo II channel." 


	7. A quick notice from me, BPCT

[Note] I apologize for not posting anything recently. I blame the government. Expect a chapter up by sometime in the near future, before July. Honest.  
  
-BlackPaladinCTrunks 


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